Don Det

I slept well last night not waking until or at least not looking at my watch until 0730.  It was hard to tell the time because the room was pitch black.

After breakfast a group of us traipsed off to find accommodation.  While this place is nice it really is a little overpriced for what it is.  Basically they are charging $10 because the room is being fixed up for when Don Det gets electricity.  Fair enough but they seem to be charging for the hot water they don’t have, the fan that doesn’t work and the light bulb with no electricity to run it.  Personally charging $10 just so I can have the privilege of looking at these wonderful features that may work one day is a bit much.

Ended up at the Mr Si Dae Bungalows.  They are thatched and right on the river with little balconies with hammocks.  The shower and toilet are shared.  They really have seen better days.  The cost is $1.  The family does not have much and they looked very happy to suddenly have 5 guests where before they had none.

They have a little restaurant attached with a pool table.  The restaurant is funny because you ask for something on the menu, which they assure you they have then they hop on their motorbike or send one of the kids running off only to return with a bag with the eggs or noodles, rice, basically the ingredients that they needed to cook the food you ordered.

It may take some time that way but at least the food is fresh and they are very obliging.

We hired some bikes in the afternoon and went riding out to the waterfalls.  The road was flat and it only took about 30 mins to get there.  Still the road was a little rough with rocks and pot holes in true Lao style.

When we arrived at the falls a bunch of Thai ladies wanted their photo taken with us.  Very weird and funny with flashbacks to India where the same occurred.

When we walked through the gates the man checked our ticket then charged us 2000 kip parking fee for the bikes!  We were laughing about that one figuring that he’d found himself a nice little money earner!

The falls were quite big and spread out but mostly flat….. if that makes sense.  Still worth the ride to see.

Don Det

Did not really do much today.  Don Det is just one of those type places.  Relaxed in the hammock, read, talked.  Used up some energy pushing off the balcony to set the hammock swinging.  That is about it, some how the day past by.

I booked a ticket to leave Don Det tomorrow to Champasak and the ruins on my way back up to Vientiane.

Malia, Jai and Rachael also booked tickets though Christophe is staying put.

The group of us went to the sunset restaurant for dinner that night and watched the sunset as the name implies for a final night on the island.

Over all I liked this place, it is very relaxed and certainly not as odd as Vang Vieng.

Don Det to Champasak

I got up this morning to watch the sun rise at 0500.  I was awake anyway so I figured I might as well since one of the guys said it was quite beautiful.

Jai was right it was well worth getting up to see.  I must admit I did go back to bed for a few hours afterwards.  Still watching the sun rise over the river, the fisherman push their boats out to try their luck, the animals heading down to the waters edge to drink and play was relaxing in it’s own way.

After checking out about 1100 hours we headed down to where the boats land.

The brief ride in the boat was over quite easily and was quite uneventful.  A minibus took us a couple of hours down the road where we caught a ferry across the river. 

By ferry I mean 3 boats covered by a decking.  The contraption even carries cars!

We stayed in the first guesthouse we came across.  Thankfully a good one with clean rooms and hot water.  My bathroom even steamed up for the very first time.

Vientiane, Laos to Melbourne, Australia to Canberra

So here I am again back home in Australia.  My last few days in Vientiane were fairly uneventful.  I strolled around the markets and stores looking for presents for a few friends.

My last night I spent on the banks of the Mekong for the last time, at least for this trip and watched the sun set while drinking a Beer Lao.

It’s funny how short a month really is and how fast the time goes by.

There were other travellers who exclaimed and asked what on earth I was going to do with an entire month in Laos because they thought there was not much to see.

Yet I could have spent longer if I’d had the time and there was so much that I did not get the chance to see.  Still maybe another time.

Overall I loved Laos.  It is for the most part a laid back, hassle free country.

So now I’m home.  I lasted a whole week before I started thinking of the next trip.  I’m also looking at what I need to upgrade on the site….

Still that is the next journey.